The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 31, 1925, Page 3

‘ The rate of .ol ed during ‘the quarter under review, ‘ve dand and +Wales for the quarter (ex: ‘vaceess of births: over‘deaths) was 86,- , a 816, as against 104,791, 98,812, and sey 96,493 in the third quarters of 1922, jon 1928, and 19249» ; "Relentiot’s Convention _ "a week's RUSSIAN UNIONS’. GROWTH IS RAPID IN EIGHT YEARS Workers’ Organizations Play Tremendous Role (Special to The Dally Worker) MOSCOW, VU. 8. 8. R., Dec, 29— From a total membership of some 645,000 in the early part of 1917 the unions of the Soviet Union have now reached the imposing figure of 6,950,- 200 in the eight-year period, according to the official. data. published’ by the ‘All-Russian Central, Council of Trade ‘Unions, i a Membership Growth Phenomenal. Such unions as the miners, textile workers, and metal workers, for in- » @tance, have increased their member- ‘ship by 50: per,cent,since 1922, while compared with 1917 their growth is phenomenal, The Textile..Workers’ Union had 69,796 members in 1917, but on April 1, 1925, its..membership is given as 624,100. os Similarly, the. Metal Workers’ Union increased from 110,627 in 1917 to 618,500 in 19265,,and,the miners, which showed 85,252 in 1917, now boasts of a membership, of 282,3000. The growth’ of the union..membership may also Serve as an index to the rehabilitation of Russian industry during these years. , Cultural Activity. Besides their ordinary activity, the Russian unions are carrying on a great cultural work. Workers’ clubs, Hbraries, schools for the illiterate and semi-illiterate, physical culture leagues ~—these are some of the forms of the unions’ cultural activity. In Septem- ber, 1925, there were in the Soviet Republic 3,417 trade union clubs, 6,803 trade union libraries, and 4,220 trade union schools for the illiterate, The membership of the clubs is over 900,000. ‘ It is interesting to'note that women constitute nearly’ 50° per cent of the membership;’ and even in such cul- turally backward districts as Trans- Caucasia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbeki- stan their mémbérship ranges from 17 Der cent to over 25'per cent. ‘The union clubs ‘are not only places of rest and recreation, They are also educational centers.’ ‘They conduct literary, muisical,' ‘political, scientific and technical circlé8, Besides these ciroles, the clubs arrange dramatic performances, fect » and concerts, employing outeld Stalent. The record attendance at these club performances for one month-is 1,495,500 people. The unions also obtain theater tickets for their members at greatly reduced * rates, and sometimes entirely free. Representatives ‘on School Boards. The Russiaf' trade tinions contribute toward the maintenanee of special ‘technical school¥.°"'They have their representatives ‘onthe’ school boards, and thus'take’an aetive part in direct- ing the work? Thre were 1,223 such schools in thé’'itiohth of September, 1925. oe Fewer Babés Being Born in England LONDON, Dec." 29.~— In a report issued by the registrar-general a fur- ther decrease in the birth rate is shown. / The number of births, 181,943, were the lowest ever recorded in any third quarter except during the war per- tod. , The figure is 5,031 lower than the preceding quarter, and 4,705 lower than the corresponding quarter of 1924, infant placed at 62 per 1,000. Ninety-five thousand one hundred and twenty-seven deaths were report- mortality is is 18,140 fewer than in the pre- ceding quarter,’ ‘but''4,972 more than in the same quarter of 1924. ‘The increase of: population in Eng- Meets in Kansas City KANSAS CITY, Mo. Dec. 29—More than 2,000 seientigts were here for convention’ of the American association for the advancement of Pr Welence, “Virtualy ‘every branch of meh Science will be represented at the daily meetings which will be open to the public, OTL COME! DEBAT SUBJECT: “Resolved that the Workers Reman) Beh . . the victory of t! NEGATIVE: R. Koeppel, for the paieery body, Walee™te 5 Hita' adequate legal defense is impossible. IN MILWAUKEE! Workers (Communist) Party at Freie Gemeinde Hall, Cor. 8th and Walnut Streets. SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 1926, AT 2:30 P.M. oO K POSITIVE:) Win. Fe Dunne, for the Workers (Comenunist) Party SWITCHMAN GETS FIVE YEARS FOR STEALING SUM OF SEVENTY GENTS KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec, 29.— James J, Ragan, a switehman, was sentenced to five years In the peni- tentlary yesterday for robbing Claude Tuoker of 70 cente. NEWS WRITERS’ UNION SUCCESS IN SCRANTON Has Improved Workers’ Conditions Greatly (Special to The Dally Worker) SCRANTON, Dec, 29—News writers, unorganized nearly everywhere else, have a live local union in Scranton with a substantially 100 per cent mem- bership. Their president for the coming year will be Martin Hayes, city hall reporter for the Scranton Repub- ican, succeeding WB. J, “Alfalfa” Ger- rity with the gavel. The Scranton newswriters are affili- ated with the International Typograph- ical Union and the Central Labor Union. They have a job control agreement with the publishers that keeps wages well’ above the level in unorganized Pennsylvania editorial rooms. The agreement negotiated a year ago jacked up the pay level two to six dollars a week. Reporters with five years’ experi- ence get $52 a week; day copy readers get $54 and night copy desk men $58. Cub reporters, corresponding to ap- prentices, get much smaller rates. The agreement provides for some limitation on hours, afternoon news- Papermen working from 8 a. m. to 4:30 p. m. with an hour off for lunch, Downtrodden Boss, in Grief, Unburdens His Soul to Daily Worker ‘The following letter is printed as a contribution to the humorous column of The DAILY WORKER. It was re- ceived enclosed with a clipping from our issue of Dec. 15, avs told of an injunction applieatién® by’ the Belle Maid Dress company of New York against striking garment workers. The letter, which may iba described as from a “boss-correspondent” reads as follows: aid “Gents: Inclosed please find an ar- ticle from The DAILY WORKER in reference to the dréss, strike. There are several other strikes, in this local- ity and there are threé, or four detec- tives from police “headquarters sta- tioned at each place. ’Phere is posi- tively no trouble ‘at°any of these places whatever. ‘oF “Some time ago I had some labor trouble in my factory,.and I asked for Protection, and as /I didnot have one of the honorary badges from police headquarters I received no recogni- tion. I see in today’s paper that Po- lice Commissioner Enfight has order- ed the return of all» the honorary badges. Why are these officers not doing regular police duty which they are paid for? In order to secure one of those honorary badges for protec- tion you are coerced into taking some insurance, “From a manufacturer in the gar- ment center district.” More Funds Are Needed to Aid Zeigler Miners The Chicago local of the Interna- tional Labor Defense has turned over $1,000 to the national office in ful- fillment of its pledgé to raise that sum‘for the defense of the Zeigler miners, The International Labor Defense sent out an emergency call to all its Connections asking for $5,000 by De- cember 15. A generous response has been made but is yet far below the required quota, The trial of-the Zeigler progressive miners, originally set for November 30, is now scheduled for February 2. All sections of the International Labor Defense are urged to immedi- ately rush in funds for the Zeigler defense. Unless funds are available The Farrington machine has promised to use unlimited cash in sending the progressives to jail. Your neighbor will appreciate the favor—give him this copy of the DAILY WORKER. TT) HEAR! Between and Socialist Labor Party FIRETRAP CUTS ‘|like that and erected a safe one in its fof new enterpris: THE DAILY WORKER OFF LIVES OF FIVE WORKERS “Walls Were Strong,” Wails Owner By ROSE PASTOR STOKES, (Member of Executive Committee, United Council Working Class Housewives.) NEW YORK, Dec, 29—When the tenement fire on East 14th street snuffed out five workers’ lives, the United Council of Working Class Housewives sent a committee to in-| vestigate. Comrades Kate Gtilow and Rose Pastor Stokes went to the scene | of the fire. They searched in vain for some one who would tell them what they wanted to know. At last they found one—a man—and ‘he hap- pened to be . But that’s the story. ‘2 © First we went into a store to the right of the brick smoke-covered wall, The little Italian shop-keeper knew nothing. He shrugged his shoulders and sent us to the store on the left of the blackened brick wall. As we en- tered the wretched little grocery, a dapper young man stood before the counter. The woman behind the counter was waiting on another cus- tomer, so we asked the young man if he knew anything about the house next door. “Sure!” he said, “I know.” “How old do you think it was?” “Why, couldn’t have ben more than 35 years old.” “Is that all? They say the halls are dark, the stairways rotten—so rotten that when the fire started, it sucked up the stairs so quickly there was no possible escape for the tenants on the top floor.” “Some drunkard in the house start- ed it,” was his irrelevant reply. “But the house—don’t you think the city should have torn down a house place?” “Say, lady,” he came back, “that house was a good house, It had strong brick walls. I should know it was a good house,” he said, a little cockily, “because my mother owned it.” Next door, stood the brick shell of what was a fire-trap tenement. The windows were black holes, opening in- to emptiness. To the profiteering landlady, the house is still a good house. No need to go to the expense of puttying up the walls! They stand. Inside the walls, she can see a new tinder-box arising. A few laths, a lit- tle plaster, cheap labor, some window panes and brick red paint—and she can put up another ‘cheap shingle in Place of the one stuck over the char- red dorway “Furnished Rooms for Rent.” What a well-dressed, well-fed young man! And how fortunate that the brick walls stan! For he may con- tinue to be a well-dressed, well-fed young man—so simply, so easily! (Praised be American democracy). No wonder the young man wears a lit- tle gold emblem with the stars and stripes on it in the lapel of his tailor made suit, He's American? You bet! As we left the well-dressed, well-fed young man and the brick walls that didn’t go down with the lives of the five workers—the strong walls smiled a black smile and winked a black wink at every hole of a window. A clay Mary, mother of Christ stood high in a niche of the church across the Street and answered the black smile with a “holy” smile. “Never mind!” she seemed to be saying to the strong brick wall and the landlady’s son, “Don’t worry. I'll keep watch. I'll see that the workers don’t revolt,” “Keep smiling!” retorted the Com- mittee of the United Council of Work- ing Class Housewives, “Keep smiling! and we'll keep organizing! Soviet Union Plans to Spend Large Sums on New Industrial Plants MOSCOW, U. S. S. R., Dec, 29—In the current fiscal year ‘the following sums will be allocated by the entire industries of the Soviet Union for the construction of dwellings and new en- terprises: In the metal and electrical indus- tries, 180,000,00 rubles; for the refit- ting ead rationalization of existing enterpris: 34,000,000 rubles; for building of new enterprises, 40,000,000 rubles for the contruction of workers’ dwelling houses in the mining indus. tries—14,000,000 rubles for refitting, 2,000,000 for dwelling construction: in the precious metal industry 11,000,000 for refitting, 2,800,000 tor construction 7,000,000 rubles for building of homes; coal mining—125,- 900,000 rubles, 33,000,000 rubles, and 18,000,000 rubles in the timber and building material industry, 36,000,000 Tubles, 47,000,000 rubles, and 2,000,000 rubles, in the chemical industry— 28,500,000, 18,000,000 and 2,500,000 rinciples and tactics of the fer the correct solution for working class.” Socialist Labor Party AUASSION 16 CENTS, |Tubles for refitt! for the building ‘and-11,400,000 rubles for dwelling con- |. rubles, in the textile industry—100,- 000,000, 40,000,000 and 25,000,000, Together with the expenditure in certain smaller industries the total Planned expenditures are: 689,100,000 288,500,000 rubles new enterprises, and is resulting un: | in yoars workers, y Mt, DRUNKENRAND SOLDIERS KILL SO, AFRICAN NATIVES DURING CHRISTMAS BRAWL 29.—Several persons were killed 28.—Several persone were killed and many wounded In fleroe fight- ing which ocourred during the Christmas days between drunk- en Rand soidiery and the natives. EXPLOITS BLIND AT $11 A WEEK IN SLAVE SHOP But Bashful Boss Gets $75 for Doing It By CARL HAESSLER, (Federated Press Editor) Blind men and women should be glad to get $11 a week to live on and if they won't, take that it’s because they are,lazy and would rather beg than work. . Besides, it is easy to get byion $11 a week for a while, and if you just caq’t make it there is always some chi organization—protestant, Jewish or, catholic—that can be in- duced to pega a little more. Bashful bn Hia Own Salary. This is the/attitude publicly assum- ed by Supt ©. W. Fremer of the Im- provement Association for Blind Peo- ple in discussing the plight of the blind in Chicago. When asked what he received for his own activity he became evasive but it is believed to be $75 a week. Fremer’s society runs the Chicago Lighthouse where blind persons to a limited number can find work and get a little training for in- dustrial occupations, Fremer starts them at $11 for a 44- hour week, he says, and tries to place them in factories as they acquire skill. At present there are 37 blind people working in the little sheetiron buildings on the far west side of the city. Thé‘annual average employed there appears to be under 20. There are about 2,000 blind persons in Chi- cago. Exploits the Sightless. Labor celrcles become interested in the blind when Samuel G. Rowe, the blind tenor who appears occasionally on radio programs, told the Chicago Federation of Labor that Fremer’s or- ganization. had induced the police to drive blind beggars off the streets that it took care of re- lief and training for the blind. GERMAN POLICE FEAR EXPOSE: 10 ARREST LAWYER Prisoner Sought for Pub- lishing Book (Special to The Daily Worker) BERLIN, Dec, 29—The persecution of the German government is no longer confined to active trade union- ists and Communists, but is now used against anyone who dares to criticize the methods of the police in Germany and is readily shown in the following case of Carl Hau, a German lawyer who was sentenced in Karlsruhe in June, 1907 for the alleged murder of his mother-in-law on ‘circumstantial evidence: Sentenced to Death, Carl Hau was found guilty and sen- tenced to death. His death sentence was changed to one of hard labor for life. He continued to protest his inno- cence and his attempt to prove he was not guilty fighting for a retrial of the case. In August, 1924, he was released from prison after serving 17 years at} |hard labor under certain conditions,! one of which were that he would not attack certain individuals who were responsible for his imprisonment on circumstantial evidence, and that he would not make any “sensational” statements on the conduct of his trial, These conditions are absolutely un- heard of when one considers that Hau is still fighting for a retrial of his case. In this fight, criticism of cer- tain persons is unavoidable, particu- larly as among these protected per- sons is his sister-in-law against whom strong suspicions have already been raised in connection with the murder. Writes Book on Prisons. Hau, who has passed thru the 17 years of hard labor, among them four frightful war and starvation years, with an astonishing strength of body and soul, issued after his release a book on his prison life, which draws a true and deeply impressing picture of the barbarism of German prisons. Police Revoke Release. On the basis of this book and the fact that Hau intended to play the| leading role in a film which would| deal with his case, the prosecutor de- clared the time of probation ended| jand issued a new warrant against | ;Hau. Even the bourgeois press | raises’ strong-’ protest against this shameful act and proves that it is an open infringment of the German con- Asa matéer.of fact, Rowe charged, stitution- which: gives every citizen.the | GREAT BRITAIN SHOWS PLEASURE AT CHOICE OF U, 8. DELEGATION LONDON, Deo, 29-—Britaln’s of- ficial circles are highly pleased over reports from Washington that Secretary of Commerce Hoover and Charies Evana Hughes may be the American delegates to the proposed league of nations disarmament con- ference. Why England should be pleased is not made clear. FRENCH RULERS JAIL ARABIAN LABOR LEADERS Imperialists Crush Workers’ Strike (Special to The Dally Worker) TUNIS, Algeria, Dec, 29— While democratic France is spreading civil- ization in Morocco and Syria by means of guns and tanks, it “rules” in its other colonies with the severe meth- ods of terror. In Tunis, where at present workers were punished for tradé union work with 45 years’ exile, a mining worker receives for one day’s work of ten hours, six—at the best seven france— and the Arabians, who work at agri- culture, are still worse. Their wages are three to four francs, As a protest against these condi- tions, strikes have occurred and or- ganizations of the Arabian workers were formed. These did not affiliate with the revolutionary C. G. T. U. but with the reformist C. G. T. of France. Yet all the leaders of the new trade unions, the Frenchman, Finidori; the Arabian, Mohamed Ben Ali, general secretary; Mahud Ben-Mohamedel Kauri and two others were arrested, kept in prison for ten months and sen- tenced to a total of 45 years of exile. The only accusation against them was “that they had- played a certain role in the Tunisian trade union move- ment.” These shameful class sen- tences have aroused the strongest pro- test in the French working class. Zankov Terror Still Rules in Bulgaria MOSCOW, Dec. 29—In a report on the situation in Bulgaria made to the executive committe, of the Interna- tional Red Aid it stated that altho most of.the-money solicited by the/|tight of free expression of his épinion ‘martial law has been formally abol- society. is used to further in the inter- ests of the “scientific sighted beggars” who use the blind as a pretext, paying them $11 a :week and failing to give them adequate training. Russian Colored Stone Trust Increases Output MOSCOW, U. S. S. R., Dec, 29.— Before the’ revolution the production of precious stones in Russia was con- ducted on handicraft lines. Now this handicraft has become quite a branch of industry, a large trust—Russian Colored Stones has been formed. This new trust does not restrict its work to producing precious stones intended for decorative purposes. It pays special attention to technical ar- ticles necessary for industry which formerly were imported from abroad. The production of marble required for the building trade, which since 1914, had been abandoned is now be- ing renewed. Agate and sapphire stones are prepared for use in con- nection with industrial products such as hydrometers and electric brushes. Stone cutting and grinding factories are also attached to the trust. In various workshops belonging to this trust highly: artistic stone cutting work is performed. The products of this trust are very popular al At the universal ex- hibition at Paris they caused general admiration. 1! This truet'/has tremendous import- ance for Soviet Russia as it owns ex- in the frame of the general laws. Hau stated that he would not. re turn to prison but continue to fight for his retrial from abroad. Suppresses All Criticism. This new scandal of German justice shows that the German class justice Suppresses undesirable criticism with all possible means. This situation makes it a completely secondary ques- tion whether Hau really committed the murder or not, but makes it a fun- damental question whether German class justice should be permitted to suppress with such methods every criticism. For what happens today to Hau can happen tomorrow to every other person and the proceedings against Hau can become a means to paralyze the political work of active officials of the labor movement for years, Aids Open Shop Coal Operators with Dual Union in Pa. Region PITTSBURGH, Pa., Dec. 29.—Mike Halapy, a discredited ex-leader of the United Mine Workers is organizing a dual union in the mining district here which has been practically open shop and working when when they did work’under the 1917 scale. A state- ment of this outfit, which calls itself the Federated Miners’ Association, clearly says that its members disavow all future allegiance to the real union, traordinary riches in valuable and colored stones. These include acqua- marines, beryls and topazes. The marble quarries in Soviet Russia are much richer than the famous quar- ries in Colombia and South America. Furthermore,” the production of marble is mtich cheaper in Russia than in other “countries. Municipal Engineers ’ Demand: Wage Increase NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 29.—Repres- entatives of municipal engineers asso- ciations of five cil in convention here, representing New York, Phila- delphia, Boston, Baltimore and Chi- cago, demand an increase of compen- sation of 30 per cent for the higher grades of engineers and 60 per cent for lower grades. The convention set the yearly salary of a chief engineer and consulting engineer in cities of over 600,000 population at $20,000. Three Men Freeze to Death iti “Steel Town” PITTSB! cold here took Dec, 29—~Continued lives of three men the worst privation oity’s unemployed ' { the United Mine Workers of America. Artificial Silk One of Thriving Products WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec, 29.— Despite the enormous increase in pro- duction of rayon, or artificial silk, the manufacturers have been unable to satisfy the demand for rayon and the industry is experiencing a period of rapid development in practically all of the important manufacturing coun- tries of the world, according to the textile division, department of com- merce, In the United States, the production and consumption of rayon continued their steady growth during the cur- rent year, The output of the Ameri- can plants for the first half of 1925 is reported as slightly over 24 mil- lion pounds and, as they have been working at capacity all year, their annual production is estimated by trade sources to be in the neighbor- hood of 60,000,000 pounds, This fig- ure shows a remarkable increase over the output of recent years. In 1920 the American pla produced 3,000,000 pounds, almost. the output in the following year to 15,- 00,000. The arty ‘a fur her increase to 24, 25 eT ‘ ary to June, ished the white terror is still raging. ‘The political mass trial are still being continued, men are still being sentenced to death. In the immediate fiture, 73 processes against 1,242 ac- cused will take place. All assistance to political prison- ers’ is prohibited. Women and chil- aren of those, who have fallen vic- tims of the Zankov terror, are with- out’ any support. The sending of children abroad to orphan homes is forbidden. The executive of the International Red Aid decided to strengthen its struggle against the terror in Bulga- ria and to appeal to the working mas- ses to continue the stubborn and energetic compaign under the follow- ing slogans: “Abolition of the death sentence!” “Legalization of aid for the politic- al prisoners and their families, free- dom of collections, etc.” The executive decided to pay spe- cial attention to the Bulgarian chil- dren. Strikebreakers Fired When Shop Is Unionized Forty-five strikebreaking stereo- typers realized that “permanent posi- tions” offered by anti-union employ- ers don’t mean anything when Simp- son & Bevans Co. sold out to two trade unionists, The company had locked out the members of Local 3, International Stereotypers & Electro- typers’ Union in 1923 in defiance of an arbitration clause in the agree- ment and attempted to operate an open shop. After 65 weeks the firm sold its business to John Conway and Max Best, members of the union, who made it 100% organized as soon as they got control. Want Russian Art Exhibit. MOSCOW, U, 8. 8. R., Dec, 29-——-The Academy of Artistic Sciences has an invitation to transfer to America the entire Soviet theatrical section of the decorative arts exhibition in Paris. The Americans undertake to bear all expenses for transport, insurance, etc, Invitations for the organization of Soviet art exhitions have also been received from Antwerp, Brussels and Stockholm. RHYMES OF EARLY JUNGLE FOLK. By Mary Marcy. A splendid book of inter- esting and educational poems for children with 71 striking wood cuts, Page Threg ‘SOVIET RUSSIA “ORDERS 10,000 | FORD TRACTORS Shipments to Be Made to Black Sea Ports (Special to The Dally Worker) NEW YORK, Dec, 29—An omer for 10,000 tractors, with equipment, plows. and spare parts for Soviet Russia, ag- gregating in value about $¢,900,006, was placed with the Ford Motor com- Dany by the Amtorg Trading corpora: tion, purchasing and selling agents fa this country for various Soviet indms- trial and commercial organizations, Shipments to the Soviet Black Sea) ports of Novorossisk and Odessa will be made during the months of Decem- ber and January, so that the tractors: will be delivered to the agricultural districts in time for the next spring _ field work, Distributing and repair stations have been established incom- venient centers thruout the Soviet Union, as well as special schools | where the peasants are instructed im | the use of the tractor which has be |come known in rural Russia only i |the past few years as a result of am extensive government campaign to im troduee modern methods of ag? ture. ie As a part of the program for the modernization of agriculture im’ the Soviet Union, importation of trastora in the latter part of the year Since then tractor imports have constantly increasing. With 10,000 tractors now purchased the number of American tractors exported into the Soviet Union by the Amtorg: Trading corporation during the calen= dar year 1925 will be brot up te over | 16,000, The present order, which is thé largest single order for tractors ever placed, is the first of a series of or ders for tractors and other agrieul tural machinery which are provided | by the Soviet import program for fiscal year 1925-26. . | In: this connection it may’ be pointed out that during the fiscal year 1924-25, ended Sept. 30, 1925, the trade turnover between the United States and the Soviet Union amounted to $103,000,000 of which $87,000,000 rep- resented exports from the United States and $16,000,000 were made up of imports into the United States. « The turnover of the Amtorg Trading corporation was about $48,000,000, Trial Against Peasants — Is Based off EEtCCTS Between Dead Persons KISHENEV, Bessarabia—(By Mail) —The French bourgeois lawyer Tor- res, who in the beginning of the Kish- inev trial took over the defense of the peasants and was finally expelled from ‘the court, writes as follows in his report of his mission: “The only document on which accusation was based, is a piece paper signed by a certain’ Platow which contains the reference to an existing illegal organization and on the general revolutionary spirit of the population. Platow himself, however, has been killed in the suppression of the revolt. The person to whom the paper was addressed, Neuin, was also killed. Finally the peasant, in whose possession tlie paper was allegedly found, ‘happened’ to be killed “while attempting to escape.’ In this manner the prosecution supports itself on™ correspondence between two found in the possession of af on an approachable scale began only the —